1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved beach pillow and, more particularly, pertains to keeping a user cool and comfortable while sunbathing, using a tanning bed or reclining in an uncomfortably warm environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of pillows and cooling devices of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, pillows and cooling devices of known designs and configurations heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of keeping a person comfortable while in a reclining position through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The prior art discloses a large number of pillows and cooling devices of known designs and configurations. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,987 to Emery, issued Apr. 11, 1967 discloses a U-shaped pillow. U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,259 to Simmons et al., issued Aug. 22, 1989 discloses a therapy pillow with removable therapeutic pack. U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,326 to O'Brien et al., issued Dec. 19, 1989 discloses a suboccipital pillow. U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,437 to Pistay, issued Sep. 6, 1994 discloses a massaging therapeutic pillow with removable ice pack. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,199 to Hudson, issued Aug. 13, 1996 discloses a hot and cold therapeutic pillow. International Application WO 96/13186 to Stanley et al., issue/priority date May 9, 1996 discloses a cooling fluid container.
In this respect, the beach pillow according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of keeping a user cool and comfortable while sunbathing, using a tanning bed or reclining in an uncomfortably warm environment.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved beach pillow which can be used for keeping a user cool and comfortable while sunbathing, using a tanning bed or reclining in an uncomfortably warm environment. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.